


Sous le Soleil Exactement

by Bananas45



Category: B: The Beginning (Anime)
Genre: Crushes, Friendship, High School, M/M, Unrequited Love, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 16:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14476317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bananas45/pseuds/Bananas45
Summary: Gilbert and Keith spend an afternoon together under the sun.





	Sous le Soleil Exactement

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from a song sung by Anna Karina from the french film Anna. The song really inspired this so give it a listen if you read...If you want to. That sounded quite forceful. Don't feel you have to.  
> they're both 16 in this.

The grass is dream green, tinged with yellow at the edges and Gilbert lies back in it with a sigh. The sun makes the nylon shirt cling to him and as he turns to see Keith, sheltered under a tree close by with book on his nose, he leans up on an elbow.  
“What are you doing?” He calls. Keith looks up and stretches his legs out.  
“Not talking to you” He groans as he stifles a yawn.  
“Ah ha” Gilbert says, getting up and brushing specks off fresh cut grass off his slacks. “Hilarious”  
Keith just shrugs. “If you think so. Did you do that essay for history?”  
Gilbert shakes his head. “The weather is too nice. I was planning on skipping out. There is a lecture on the evolution of crime in central cremona versus rural at the library” He pulls out the leaflet and toses it a Keith. “Care to join me?”  
There is a pause as Keith reads it, eyebrows raised a little and excitement a little too clear on his face. It makes Gilberts chest tingle a little and a smile pulls at his cheeks.  
“Mary wanted to copy me. I’m meant to meet her” Keith says with a cheek-blown sigh.  
“Who’s Mary?” He asks, trying to sound like he doesn’t quite recall her, not like he wants to rip her head off.  
“She’s in history. Small, brunet, sort of too excitable” Keith mumbles, dropping off the sentence as he moves onto thinking about something else.  
“Who cares about Mary” Gilbert laughs, trying to hide the bitterness that’s spreading up his throat.  
“I care” Keith says, it’s not indignant or defensive, which somehow makes it worse. Gilbert clenches his jaw.  
“Well, I’m going. Say I wasn’t feeling well” He pulls his satchel to his shoulder and drops his blazer over it. “You’re missing out”  
As he walks over the grass, back to the gavel path that leads down to the main road, he ignores that crippling feeling of rejection. That one that makes him want to stop being Keith’s friend at all. Friendship, all this, stupid school shit. It’s all just asinine-  
“Hold up”  
He turns just in time to catch the leaflet thrown back at him. He tilts his head, staring at Keith even though he’s mostly obscured by the 2’oclock sun.  
“Mary shouldn’t be copying” Keith says, putting the book back in his satchel, struggling with the buckles before he abandons it.  
“She should not” Gilbert agrees, eyebrow raised as he let’s his mouth twitch into a smile.  
“So, we’re doing a good deed” Keith says, glasses falling down his nose. Gilbert had said like 2 weeks ago to get those tightened.  
“We are” Gilbert purses his lips to stop from laughing.  
Keith takes a moment, tongue on his lip before he sucks in through his teeth. “Yeah fuck it” he mutters. Gilbert turns back but waits for Keith to reach his side.  
“Let’s go” He says with a smirk and they do.  
They get the tram from the bottom of the hill into the old town. Keith only had a fare to get them half way and so they get off in amongst the bustle of tourists and seaside attractions. It is annoyingly miles away from the library but Gilbert can’t find it in him to care. With his school tie in his back and the bottom of his slacks turned up he finds he can’t care about much.  
“When does this thing start?” Keith says as they stroll down a quiet and chilled alleyway, away from the sun, the cobbles catch on Keith’s shoe and it comes off on the road. Gilbert laughs like a child and has to lean against the wall as Keith looks up in shock.  
“Four” He manages and Keith looks up, trying to look disappointed.  
“You saying we need 2 hours to get to the library?” Eyebrows raised and mouth set in a line that’s struggling not to break into giggles.  
“I’m saying-” Gilbert is still laughing. “I didn’t know how bad the traffic would be”  
Keith smiles. “I feel tricked. Think of Mary-”  
“Fuck Mary” Gilbert snaps, words clipped and heart suddenly cold before he shakes it off. “Let’s walk along the waterfront”  
“It’ll be cramped with tourists” Keith huffs but agrees regardless but the way he glances at Gilbert makes it painfully obvious he’s analysing the outburst.  
The seafront in the old town is, as Keith said, busy as anything. Groups of school children in matching coloured tops take group photos by the yachts and shops selling trinkets overflow like waves to shore. The coffee shops and bars are full and people stand outside, perched on the flood wall with beer glasses. Conversation bustling and heat carrying it across the air.  
He drops an arm around Keith as he pulls his sunglasses out his bag and shakes his hair out the way as they settle on his face.  
“This is living, Keith” he points vaguely.  
“Walking along a hot, crowded street?” Keith chuckles, more to himself, fanning his cheeks with the crumpled leaflet.  
“I’m being hyperbolic” Gilbert clicks his tongue. The map they find puts them only 10 minutes away from the Library and Gilbert grins a little.  
“Guess we have some time to kill”  
The heat is strong and slightly overwhelming, the sea reflects the sun in a myriad of different blues and Keith, looking out across the water, haphazardly murmurs.  
“Sorta looks like your eyes, Gilbert”  
He tilts his head to gauge what on earth Keith could have meant by that but gets nothing. A couple pass them by and ask if they’ll take their photo by the waterfront and Gilbert agrees.  
She loops an arm around his neck, pulling him down to her level as she grins at the camera. Gilbert clicks delete all instead of capture, hands it back with pleasant smile and a bursting giggle building in his tummy.  
“You’re such a physcopath” Keith says, although he’s laughing too.  
They find a corner shop, boarded up and peeling in the sun, empty in amongst the bustle of everything around it. They have a broken ice-cream sign outside.  
“I bet you my whole being they’ll serve me in this place” Gilbert says with grin.  
“You’re 16, no one will serve you” Keith leans against the crumbling plaster.  
“I’ll get us both a pack of cigarettes and they won't bat an eye” Gilbert winks, hand extended.  
“Don’t smoke, Gilbert” It’s said with genuine disdain.  
“I already smoke!” He laughs and Keith just shakes his head.  
“Well then off course you’ll win” Keith crosses his arms, admirable in the heat given how hot his skin must be.  
“I get someone else to buy for me usually” Gilbert waves his hand. “Come on, I know I can do it”  
“I will never speak to you again if you do this” Keith says, wiping his hair out his face. They both pause for a moment before laughing.  
Gilbert manages, just about, the guy asks for ID and Gilbert says he forgot it. The guy looks at him for all of about 2 seconds before just letting him go.  
Keith does look mildly impressed under the eye roll and huff.  
They find a coffee shop, empty except for a few pairs of old ladies drinking tea and having cake. They interior is a dirty white and the heavy air conditioning makes the lace curtains on the open window blow every which way. Keith orders them both an espresso and they sit outside on the plastic white chairs that look ready to blow away on the slightest change of wind.  
Strings play through a crackling speaker inside and across the muggy, shimmering afternoon air it makes it way to them. Gilbert lights up and the waitress brings him an ash tray under her arm as the drops off their coffees.  
“Let's remember this moment” Keith says, book out and balanced between his thumb and index finger. “Let's do again in 10 years” It’s uncharacteristically sentimental for Keith and Gilbert almost chokes on his inhale.  
“That’s very misty eyed of you Keith”  
“Don’t make me take it back then” Keith takes a sip of the espresso, ankle balanced on the knee of his other leg he looks out over the water.  
Gilbert laughs and takes another drag, balancing his sunglasses in his hair, he glances at Keith.  
“So this brunet-”  
Keith groans. “Don’t” his shirt rides up a little and his back hits the meltingly hot plastic. “Ouch”  
“Mary” He breathes out, waving his hand across the air. “She sounds dreamy”  
“You’ve met her!” Keith laughs.  
“I don’t remember” ‘anyone but you’ is left unsaid.  
“If you’re asking if anything is going on. Nothing is going on” Keith punctuates.  
“Keith!” He wines “You always say that! You’re so blind!” He stamps his foot a little.  
“Well it takes two to tango and she’s dancing with herself” Keith mutters.  
“Poetic” Gilbert smirks, voice sardonic.  
“We’ll miss your talk” Keith says, glancing at the little clock on the wall. Gilbert stands and offers Keith a hand, he ignores it off course and Gilbert puts out the cigarette with a thin smile.  
They walk, shoulders brushing into the centre of town, away from the shoreline and make it with 5 minutes to spare and into the lecture hall. They slide into the back row and drop their bags at their feet. It’s much colder in the musty old hall and Gilbert puts his feet on the seat in front and stares at the constellations painted on the domed ceiling. Keith smells a little of second hand smoke beside him and it makes him feel oddly proud.  
He thinks of today, under the sun, exactly and so perfectly together. School going on alongside them as they strolled down the promenade shoulder to shoulder.  
He wonders if Keith has ever kissed any of the girls who seek him. He swallows at the thought and turns to stare. The mop of hair that covers most of his face is a little damp with the heat of the sun and Keith’s glasses are leaving little dots of pink on the bridge of his nose, turned up at the end a little. He’s biting the inside of his cheek which shows the line of his cheekbone down the side of his lip. He prays known of them have.  
“Crime is has multiple causes, of course-”  
Keith will find a lovely girl one day and they’ll be happy together. The thought alone makes his knees tremble. Scarily, the only conclusion he can clearly come to about solving the problem is just killing Mary. Killing Mary. Killing anyone makes his stomach twist uncomfortably- is that uncomfort? In fact the more he focuses the less it feels like discomfort and more like a strange twisted pleasure-  
“Yo, Gilbert” Keith is saying. “Come on let’s go.”  
He snaps back to reality with a little scare and blinks up at Keith. Had he really zoned out for an hour?  
“You bastard” Keith sighs. “Did you fall asleep after dragging me here”  
Gilbert laughs shakily. “Maybe I just wanted a walk”  
They get to the door and realise it’s pouring with rain. The air temperature is still humid and clinging but the rain pours down and makes the concrete smell that cold sharp smell.  
“Well” Keith says, as they huddle under the arch of the library.  
“Well” Gilbert echoes, tilting his head to see if it’s stopping. It’s not and the clouds stretch out in all directions.  
“Let’s just go for it” Keith mumbles, satchel over his head he bolts down the street before Gilbert can say anything.  
“Wait-” Gilbert shouts but gives up as he watches Keith dodge two cars and trip on the curb. He follows behind a little slower and feels his shirt soak through and his shoes fill up. The leather of his bag becomes slippery with the raindrops.  
“You’re an idiot” Gilbert sighs as they slip inside a bar, already too full of people to dry off. It’s one of those classic bars with high girders and stain glass windows and shutters that attracts every tourist in town and it’s so busy people are standing.  
“Yeah? Say that again and no one is doing your maths homework” Keith rolls his eyes and Gilbert laughs, a soft incredulous laugh.  
“I do not need your help, Flick”  
“I really will meet Mary tomorrow” Keith says, mostly to himself, as if abandoning her today has actually weighed on him. It makes Gilbert livid. Has he been thinking about her all this time?  
“Whyyyyy?” Gilbert whines, thumping his head back against the worn wood. They have to stand close because of the noise of the bar and Gilbert revels in it. “Keith if you wanna fuck her just say-”  
“I don’t” Keith leans on the don’t with a ‘quit it now’ tone and Gilbert aquieces with a sigh. “She seemed to care so I’m caring. Is that not how friendships are formed or something?” Keith rubs his soaked shirt a little and ruffles his hair.  
“That’s not how our friendship was formed” Gilbert folds his elbows.  
“Our friendship was forced and it stuck” Keith snaps. “Not that you’re not a good friend” He adds.  
“See this? those words? How do you think Mary would respond to that?” Gilbert says.  
Keith huffs out a little sad laugh. “Yeah true”  
Gilbert narrows his eyes in a facsimile of concern, really only to build Keith’s trust in him.  
“Look, if you really like this girl” Keith head shoots up to protest. “Then I’ll talk to her for you. Honestly, if you think she’s the one or whatever-”  
“Gilbert!” He barks. “I don’t care”  
The words send a happy little thrill through him. “Really?”  
“Well yeah and it’s none of your business if I did” and the feeling is gone.  
“I’m offering my assistance is all”  
“No you’re not. You’re such a medler Gilbert” He mutters, trying to clean is glasses on his soaked shirt and huffing when it makes them worse.  
“Yeah well, just know in 10 years or whatever, whenever you say we’ll be doing this again. You, my friend, will not have anyone” He smiles and Keith shakes his head with downturned laugh.  
“Because I refused your help?”  
“Yes, exactly. Keith, you are the antithesis of romance-”  
“That’s a big word Gilbert. Don’t hurt yourself”  
Gilbert laughs and looks outside. “It’s stopped raining”  
The sun is setting, painting the sky a vivid red as it reflects on the passing clouds.  
As they walk back to school. The evening air drying their clothes and the night bringing a chill. Gilbert glances a Keith, who has his book out on the same page as before. From this angle Gilbert can see inside, Keith’s thumb holds a note in place.  
‘See you at 2.15 DO NOT FORGET !! Mxx’  
The guilt on Keith’s face is highlighted as the street lamps flash on and he tucks the book back into his bag..  
“What?” He asks as Gilbert realises he was staring.  
“Nothing”  
He thinks of them, together and exactly under the midday sun and prays in 10 years they can do it again and thinks that if he’d seen the note then he would have been upset but for now, with the sun set and the night setting in all he can do is grin.

**Author's Note:**

> I was really interested in the idea of Keith and Gilbert growing up and how their friendship would have been back then.  
> 


End file.
